Rick Rollens letters
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I woke up this morning and now have over 200 e-mails from outraged parents
and others regarding the Newsweek story, all of which are sending outraged
letters to the editor. Many of us toil each and every moment of our lives to
push the science and understanding of autism forward. It seems that all it takes
is one sensational, misguided, ill informed publication printing a modern day
Bettleheimish theory of autism to set progress back. It seems both Baron-Cohen
and Newsweek have one agenda....sell books and magazines, even at the expense of
our children.
Newsweek asked that I send them a recent picture of Russell and interviewed me
for an update on his condition. It seems in 2003 that the real face of autism
and the true story of life with autism is too real and painful for Newsweek to
cover. Considering what was published this week, thank God our stuff was not
included in this week's tabloid.
Rick Rollens
From: SCHAFER AUTISM REPORT - September 3, 2003 Vol. 7 No. 179
LETTERS
* Mewsweek Coverage of Autism Inspires Strong Letters
Many of those in the past and today in the world of psychiatry and their camp followers in the world of psychology have and continue to be the number one enemy of people and their families with autism. It wasn't that long ago these psycho-babble folks brought us "Refrigerator mothers are at fault", then "autism is a rare genetic disease", and even today many in that camp continue to deny the real existence of the autism epidemic. Haven't they done enough damage already? They have failed us in the past and continue to fail us today. They need to go. Our kids do not choose this condition. It's not a psychiatric disease. It is in a growing number of cases a post birth induced condition, not too much maleness!! Giving any credibility to the work of modern day Bettleheims is just as bad as if we stood by and allowed Bettleheim and his followers to go on unchallenged. It simply is not acceptable.
We need to quickly remove autism from the ugly grasp of the shrinks and psychologists today who are truly getting in the way of progress in finding the real causes of autism, developing truly effective treatments, and yes, a cure; and, place the responsibility with finding the real biomedical causes of this disease with real researchers and medical professionals, and send these outdated and misguided people into the sunset for from blaming mothers, and coming up with stupid theories like "mind blindness" and "extreme maleness". This crack pot thinking will do nothing to find the real causes of autism, nor will it bring us real treatments and a cure for this devastating disease.
- Rick Rollens, Autism Advocate
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